2017 Favourites

Some of these were new this year, some were just new to me this year and some are old favourites that just haven't been beaten yet. I've marked the products that were released this year with a *

It's quite a long video but there was a lot to cram in. All products are listed below and any blog reviews are listed at the bottom.

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year - see you in 2018!

Products:
Cowshed Grumpy Cow Shampoo
*Mane 'n Tail Conditioner
Amelia Moss Argan Oil
*Pixi x Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
*Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Pads
Origins Make a Difference + Cream
Origins GinZing Eye Cream
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10%
Skin Owl Beauty Drops PM
*NARS Sun Wash Diffused Bronzer
Bourjois Smokey Stories in Over Rose
Hourglass Ambient Light Powder
*Rosie for Autograph Eye Shadow Sticks
*Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Younique Precision Lip Pencil in Popular
*Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturiser
Jao Brand LipJao
Eco Tools Brushes
Louise Young Eye Trio in Studio 54
Ilia Multistick
Ilia Illuminator
Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner
*Pixi Correction Concentrate
Maybelline Great Lash Big
*Daniel Sandler Customisable Colour for Cheeks
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow
Lord & Berry Kajal
Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Bitch Perfect
MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Dangerous

Reviews:
Cowshed Grumpy Cow Shampoo
*Mane 'n Tail Conditioner
Amelia Moss Argan Oil
*Pixi x Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
*Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Pads
Origins Make a Difference + Cream
Origins GinZing Eye Cream
*The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10%
Skin Owl Beauty Drops PM
*NARS Sun Wash Diffused Bronzer
Bourjois Smokey Stories in Over Rose
Hourglass Ambient Light Powder
*Rosie for Autograph Eye Shadow Sticks
*Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturiser
Jao Brand LipJao
Eco Tools Brushes
Ilia Multistick
Ilia Illuminator
Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner
*Pixi Correction Concentrate
*Daniel Sandler Customisable Colour for Cheeks
Lord & Berry Kajal

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

Due to life getting in the way I never did my intended teen post - there are some ideas for teens in the post below but also some ideas that you can either get online while there's time or on the high street. For women (and some men) if in doubt you can make up a goodie bag, for men you don't know well food and drink always goes down well.

Blue Bowl - last orders from this amazing present website are by 2pm on Thursday 21st. Need some stocking fillers? I simply love my leopard and though the zebra's are sadly sold out you can get these cool wild animal dispensers for the washi obsessive in your life (everyone has one of those). Tricky to buy for teens can have these pom pom hair ties or a pyramid pouch.

How to use Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

This is one of the questions I'm asked most and I hope this video helps. I've put a link to my previous reviews of this powder below and you can see it in action in probably 90% of my videos. I'm using Diffused Light as it not only suits my skin colour but helps with redness which I have. There are five other colours all which do different things so you can find the perfect one for you. This is a very light powder which is why I love it and refines and flatters the appearance of the skin.

I hope this helps you understand how to use it - think of it as an incredibly light, flattering finisher to your make-up. It just pulls everything together. I've also listed the other make-up I'm wearing below in case you want to know!

Rimmel Eye Shadow in Bluffing
Lord & Berry Kajal
Maybelline Great Lash Big
Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturiser
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Chelsea
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light
NYX Butter Lipstick in Pops Explosif

You can see my full review of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder here

My review of the Lord & Berry Kajal is here

Skin Owl Maqui Berry Beauty Drops PM

One of my friends is a bit of a skincare obsessive, like me. And like me her skin doesn't like a lot of things but luckily for me our skins like different things so I get a lot of her rejects and one of them was this Maqui Berry beauty drops oil from Skin Owl.

Now, I've said it before and I'm saying it again, it's quite rare for me to have an immediate wow from skincare but I've been feeling pretty wowed by this. I have to confess to not having really looked into Skin Owl before. I'd heard of the brand but with so much skincare available now it's hard to keep up especially when you buy 95% of the products yourself (fact). So I didn't know anything about the brand, I don't think much happens with oils so I just whacked this on one night when my skin felt like it needed a real hit of moisture - the weather has wreaked havoc on my dry skin. Woke up with skin like a baby.

Christmas Gift Ideas - Books

As some of you will know I used to work in publishing and so I am very much a fan of giving and receiving books. Though this has got me into trouble - I am currently desperately finding places in my already-full house to put yet another bookshelf - its an addiction I just can't seem to give up. My Amazon wishlist has got to be one of their longest.

A good cookbook or coffee table book makes a great house gift if you are going to stay with unfamiliars this Christmas. There are some great kids books in there too.

Agatha Chrisie - of course I think my favourite author should be given to everyone. If you can track down the little hardbacks they look amazing on your shelves. My recommendations are - Mrs McGinty’s Dead, Five Little Pigs and Sleeping Murder. There is an absolutely stunning illustrated edition of Murder on the Orient Express: Illustrated Edition film tie-in that is beautiful to look at let alone read.

The Christmas Chronicles - if I were only allowed to choose one cook book it would probably be this. It's festive, it's beautiful and Nigel Slater always manages to write in a way that is slightly more than just a cookbook.

Lord & Berry Kajal

If you don't like your eye make-up to budge then you should probably stop reading. This isn't for you. If you are like me and don't mind everything grunging up again then this could be something you'll love. I read about this a couple of years ago and have been meaning to try it for ages (as I consider myself a bit of a black eyeliner aficionado) - it is loved by almost-a-national-treasure Claudia Winkleman. And though I love her, she's not always the tidiest in the make-up department. I don't think she cares about that.

So, in case you haven't already guessed it. This moves. It glides on beautifully and will also glide around beautifully given half a chance. Eye rubbers step away from the kajal. This is great with some eyeshadow pressed over the top to set it a bit or if you like to smudge up and smoke out your eyeliner. If you wear it on the waterline it will go on incredibly easily, but you will need to re-apply it throughout the day.

Beauty Christmas Gift Ideas

This could be pretty endless so I've tried to keep it concise. Some of these I've tried, some I haven't, but all of them are things I would willingly give and gladly receive.

Bath Bombs - I don't know why but they always feel like a treat to me. And come on, they are fun.

Becca Glow on the Go - this on-trend rose gold kit should suit most skin tones. And it's another one that's pretty reasonably priced.

Bobbi Brown - have a lot to offer this Christmas. For those on a bigger budget the Sparkle All Night Eyes and Lips Kit is very wearable and transportable but my personal favourite is the Caviar and Rubies Eye Set.

Charlotte Tilbury - yes her products are (mostly) worth the hype. I'd chose the Bitch Perfect Lip Set (every time I wear this lipstick I get asked what it is, without fail),  I've always secretly wanted this make-up bag, I'm pushing the boundaries on whether you can actually have too many make-up brushes I love this mini kit for when I eventually travel again.

Daniel Sandler - any of the watercolour blushers would be absolutely lovely but the Customisable Colour for Cheeks is pretty special.

Laura Mercier - another gorgeous brush set this year.  The Art of Exotic Colour collection looks love too.

Lipstick Queen Transformer Trio - these are fun and really not unreasonably priced.

Lord & Berry - much underrated in my opinion. I use and love their kajal and their lipsticks and would happily receive their stylographic liner, lipstick pencils (in fire, scarlett or blush), or Twistick (in On Stage). And at the moment they are offering a free gift (that I really want) when you purchase two products or more.

Louise Young - another brand from which I would happily recommend anything and her brushes would make gorgeous stocking fillers or goodie bag stuffers.

Marc Jacobs On the Prowl Set - the Marc Jacobs eye shadows have been one of the most talked about releases of this year and the one included in this set looks incredibly wearable. The Wild One eye shadow palette is pretty incredible looking too.

Nudestix - This Matte Nude Lip and Cheek Stain is lovely, even if I'm a little over matte at the moment.

NYX - may not be high end but one of their Jumbo Eye Pencils would be a welcome addition to any stocking or goodie bag. Cashmere, Iced Mocha, French Fries and Yoghurt are all great colours.

Origins - I'm a huge Origins fan and this Holiday Gift Set looks absolutely wonderful. The Easy Slider Pre-Shave Oil would be great for the man in your life

Philip Kinglsey - the elasticiser is one of the few products I genuinely think makes a difference.

Pixi Best of Bright - yes I love the Glow Tonic but there's something more festive about this little kit and they are the perfect size for those who travel.

Don't forget to go and see my non-beauty gift ideas, and my suggestions for what to get kids aged 0-10. Still to come are presents for teens and my book suggestions.

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Christmas Giveaway

On my Instagram at the moment I am giving away a goodie bag of surprise treats. All you have to do is find the post, like it and nominate a friend you think deserves something nice.

Christmas Gift Ideas (non make-up)

In my notes I've called this 'Present's for Grown-ups' because it's so hard to divide everything into categories all the time and it's not like when you are Christmas shopping you go 'Oh well I'll just buy for the men I know today, women can be next week'. These can be actual presents, stocking fillers or presents for those tricky-to-buy-for friends of the family who may spend some of the festive time with you. Also some great suggestions for house gifts if you are going to stay with people and want to avoid the usual wine/chocolate/panetone.

Beeswax Wraps - I love these. I love them so much that they sent me some to say thank you for a review and I immediately went online and bought some for friends. If I could be bothered I'd find the timing that I Instagrammed my excitement at the post and then the receipt of my purchase. There's an hour in it max. Anyway, I love all of these and we use our Medium Kitchen Pack all the time and you can read my full review here. Any of these packs would make a really unusual house gift and I like Cheese pack but as a stocking filler the 1 Medium and 1 Small wraps would be great and men who have fires will love the Bee Bombs (a useful present that doesn't clutter up the house... who doesn't
want that?)

Younique Moodstruck Epic Mascara

One thing I always want to be on this blog is honest and fair so here's a review I would never have dreamed of writing! I've heard (not great) things about Younique and have been approached by some of their reps but haven't actually looked into or tried any of their products. Then lovely Gina who has followed me on Instagram for a while and who I actually didn't know was a rep said she wanted to send me a mascara to try because she thought I'd love it. I messaged her back and said I really thought I wouldn't and she replied that she'd take that risk and send it anyway.

Christmas gift ideas for Children 0-10

For a while it was really hard to find decent, not-too-expensive, gifts and stocking fillers for children but thanks to shops like Flying Tiger this seems to be improving. Some of these presents would work as gifts for other peoples children, stocking fillers or presents for your own squad but rather than dividing into categories I've listed them alphabetically. I will be posting books separately so keep an eye out.

I know that most people say babies don't need stockings but if there are second, third, fourth children then how are you going to explain to the older ones that santa didn't bother with the baby? My tip is to fill the babies stocking with stuff it needs anyway - teethers, vests, Ella's pouches, weaning stuff can all go in.

A quarter of - yes sweets are bad but with Christmas being such a time of consumerism children are often overloaded with presents and actually are just as happy with a box of illicit sweeties. A Quarter Of is the place to go. Not just for kids their bags of friendship rings got me through the last pregnancy.

Animal Antics Ride on Dino - We all know a dinosaur lover and this is perfect for them. It's dressing up but with a little less faff. My nephews would go crazy for this. And they also do unicorns!

Biscuit cutters - I don't know why but I seem to have a bit of an addiction to these. The right cutter brings such simple pleasure and these are a great stocking filler.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Pads - Quick Review

These are really good. Yes they're not the most sophisticated acid exfoliator out there but they do the job and they are ridiculously cheap.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid pads
Read my full review here

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick

Sometimes it's worth mentioning products that may not be the newest thing on the block but are the best of their kind and the Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks from Hourglass are, as far as I'm concerned,  unbeatable for pigmentation and longevity.

This lipsticks will not be for everyone. They are very matte in finish and properly set after a few minutes so they feel quite dry. This is why they don't move but if you're not used to it or don't like the feel of a lipstick then you'll find them uncomfortable to wear.

Christmas Gift Bags for Friends

If you have girl friends that you buy Christmas and birthday presents for every year it can be hard to come up with ideas and it can get very expensive. I always love the idea of putting together goodie bags (or hampers) for friends which include lots of lovely little treats and if you are clever you can do lots of friends at once and not break the bank. I've come up with a lovely goodie bag, some ideas of what to go in it and then some budget options to help you out.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara BIG - Quick Review

I never got on with Maybelline Great Lash mascara despite it being the most popular mascara among my friends. I'd say it appears in 7 out of 10 make-up bags I go through* but for me it was just totally meh. However, for some reason I can't explain I was compelled to buy the BIG (i.e volumising) version when I saw it in Superdrug. You can see what I think here.

Maybelline Great Lash BIG Mascara is available here

*I go through a lot it's like a strange compulsion

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Oskia Ranaissance Cleansing Gel

Lean in close, I'm going to whisper this, but I may have a new favourite cleanser. I still love the Emma Hardie Amazing Face cleansing balm but the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel is giving it a run for its money. The first thing I've noticed about this is that its one of the few skincare products that while it claims to be illuminating does not make my sensitive skin tingle or go bright red. I've been using it for about 4 months and on those weekends when I've been away and have wanted to just take easy to use, hero products this has been the only cleanser I take with me.

Ideally I would use this as a second cleanse but when needs be this works well as a first or only cleanse, it gets make-up off an my skin is left feeling incredibly clean and soft. I genuinely believe that there are products in here that are working on my skin - and I don't get that very often.

Pumpkin Enzyme gently exfoliates the skin, Vitamin A Palmitate which is a derivative of Retinol but slightly gentler making this cleanser great for sensitive skins, though whether in these amounts it will have any of the desired effect (gentle resurfacing and promotion of elasticity) is unlikely. Vitamins C and E are great for deal with free radicals and pollution, which is great for us city dwellers. My skin feels firm but not tight, clean but not irritatingly so and really soft and smooth.

Sunday Spend

I haven't done this for a while but though I'm definitely one of those people who does not want to think about Christmas too early however, there's no harm in keeping an eye out for things that may make the final dash to get everyone's presents sorted, a little less grim.

Feel Unique are offering 20% off when you spend £100 enter the code 20SHINE when you checkout, and 15% off when you spend £50 just enter SHINE15

Illamasqua - Buy any 3 products and receive a FREE Illamusthaves set (worth £31.50) including two of our best selling, cult favourite products - Hydra Veil and Gel Sculpt!

Waterstones have up to 50% off bestselling books 

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

NARS Sun Wash Diffused Bronzer - Quick Review

I shouldn't love it but I do - see it in action below. I bought it the day before they announced that they would be selling in China. I have put a link to my original review at the bottom - I got trolled after I posted it, even though I don't claim to be a cruelty-free blogger, by someone who eventually suggested I use Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick instead. Bobbi Brown is owned by Estee Lauder... which sells in China. And the shimmer brick is completely different to this which is incredibly subtle. Which proves that trolls are know-nothing idiots. Now, where were we...

NARS Sun Wash Diffused Bronzer

Read my original review here

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

MUA Pixel Perfect Multi-Blush

MUA is one of those incredibly cheap high street/drugstore brands that you probably would never buy anything from because they are never kept clean by any shop. They have been around for ages but disappeared from view almost completely for years - there was one disgusting rotating stand in my local Superdrug that I used to get the odd thing from my I'd hazard a guess and say over 80% of the products have been opened and used or broken.

Face of the Day - 2nd November 2017

My current go-to make-up. Despite the length of the video this is actually very quick to do and lasts all day.  All products are listed below and any reviews/quick reviews to products are also linked.

If you haven't already subscribed to my channel then please do and you should also sign up for my monthly emails where you get everything from the blog straight to your inbox and some extra tips and offers too.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eye Shadow Stick in Bluffing
Bourjois Smokey Stories in Over Rose
Lancome Art Liner
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Younique Moodstruck Epic Mascara
Clarins Instant Concealer
House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel 1
Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow
Daniel Sandler WaterBrush
Eco Tools brushes
Real Techniques Brushes
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
MUA Pixel Perfect Mult-Blush in Coral Spice
Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Louise Young Enigma Lip Trio

Reviews:
Eye Shadow Pencils 
Bourjois Smokey Stories
Lancome Art Liner
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Clarins Instant Concealer 
House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel 1
Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
Eco Tools 
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Louise Young Lip Trio

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

MakeupDrop Silicone Beauty Applicator

This silicone applicator for liquid make-up products and though it doesn't flick my switch I can see this really working for those who worry about the various hygiene issues raised with using brushes and even worse (my favourite), beauty blenders.

Rather than being like a sponge this feels more like one of those gel pads you use in your high heels to stop your feet from completely dying. But it's thicker. In fact it feels rather wonderful - like a make-up related stressball.

There are some major pros to this product. You lose no product when using this, all of it goes directly onto your face and any tiny amount that doesn't is very easily washed off. You just need to rinse it in warm water and soap. Because no product, or anything, is absorbed into it then there is nothing to go off, encourage bugs or whatever other horrors can happen to more traditional make-up sponges. You don't have to worry about drying it in a certain way as you do with brushes. This also means you should technically save money as you will end up using less product and fewer brushes and sponges. It feels lovely to apply make-up with and although the price seems quite high you should, in theory, be able to use this for a very long time.

Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturiser - Quick Review

One of my favourite products from this year in action

Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Tinted Moisturiser

Read my original review here

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Pads

I have never knowingly used anything actually from Superdrug before. At least I can't remember it if I have and what an introduction these Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Pads are.

Nowadays I see people spending extravagant amounts of money on skincare. Of course if you have the money and skincare is your jam then go for it but I know that I for one definitely splurge on skincare when frankly I have enough to get me through the next six months at least. If you, like many are really changing the way you look after your skin then this is actually a great way to save yourself some money - I think this is just as good as other AHA 'toners' I have used and at the time of writing these were cut to be £2.95. You get 60 pads which is at least 2 months worth but probably longer if you don't use them everyday.

House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel 1 - Quick Review

I've used this for years and it's a great product for those who like a fuller coverage their concealer. I love it because it works well with a really light foundation or tinted moisturiser - I'm wearing the Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturiser in this video. You can use with a brush or a beauty blender but I think you get the best results using your fingers for the concealers/correctors. All links are below.

I should mention that the highlighter in the middle looks grubby because I'm constantly using my contour brush for this and I'm a crap blogger - if I were better this would easily clean up.

You can buy The House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel here

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Kiko Velvet Touch Creamy Blush Stick

Kiko is a brand that can be quite hit or miss. They have some incredibly reasonably priced products so whenever I go in there I end up coming out with a few products to try and most of them are good to great - some of them go straight in the 'giveaway' box. One thing I should mention is that their packaging always fails... anything twist up from them has stopped twisting efficiently fairly early on. That's ok - you get what you pay for and with most make-up products a large majority of what you pay for is packaging.

Anyway, I bought this Velvet Touch Creamy Blush Stick in Golden Peach about two years ago and for some reason it never made it into regular use. It was only when I was testing the Ilia Multistick earlier in the year that I remembered I had this and when and dug it out of my blusher stash and started using it. The colour I have is really lovely, I much prefer it to the famous NARS Orgasm as it's less harsh on paler skin but has the gold flecks through it.

September 2017 Favourites

As the name suggests this is a September favourites video. All products are linked below and the reviews are below that!

Products:
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Pads
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
NYX Intese Butter Gloss in Tres Leches
Maybelline Great Lash Big 
Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Tinted Moisturiser
Sunday Riley CEO Cleansing Oil

Reviews:
Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturiser

More Like This:
September 2015 Favourites
February 2016 favourites
October 2016 favourites

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser

An impulse purchase from a brand I'd wanted to try for a while. It was a toss up between this and the Rosehip Cleanser but frankly, I don't seem to have much luck with Rosehip on my face so I went with the Brightening Cleanser. And I'm kind of into orange at the moment.

I don't like to overload my skin. In the morning I usually cleanse, acid tone (sometimes) and moisturise. I sometimes use a Vitamin C serum if I have one. If I do too much my skin gets cross and then I have to wear more make-up when I actually want my skin to be good enough to wear less. Are you keeping up? I've been after a good, fairly basic, easy to use cleanser for the morning for a while - one that would play nicely with my other products. This does just that.

Morning Cleansers

The move to our new bathroom made me realise that I probably have a bit too much skincare. I tried to rationalise it but really I like to use products depending on what I feel my skin needs at the time. I love cleansers and sort of feel like I could never have too many. Here's a look at my current favourite cleansers to use in the morning and a little bit on why I like them. My skin type is combination normal/dry/dehydrated. It's in fairly good nick at the moment as I've been testing lots of lovely oils and serums. Still not drinking enough water though.

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser
Really lovely as a gentle exfoliating cleanser. Has never irritated my skin even when it's been feeling sensitive and just nice to have something effective that doesn't make me a tomato. I haven't tried the other cleansers from Tata Harper but I want to based on this. Read my original review here.

Quick Affordable School Run Make-up

Some of you will be wondering why you need to wear make-up on school run. I salute you. I need to have mascara and concealer on at the very minimum. I don't need to go in with full face every time but I like to have a bit on. Yes it helps being a make-up artist but what I do most days isn't very technical and I thought I'd re-work it a bit to use my favourite high-street products.

Some of us like to have a bit of make-up on when we do school run - but it doesn't need to be Kim K levels and it certainly doesn't have to cost as much. Here's my current go-to make-up it takes five mins and lasts all day. List of products below. Any questions don't hesitate to ask.

If you haven't already then please subscribe to my channel!

Products Used:
No 7 Shade and Define in Cool Mink
Eco Tools Eye Shading Brush similar to this
MAC Smoulder Eye pencil 
Max Factor Masterpiece Max mascara
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
Clinique Bottom Lash mascara 
Bourjois Bronzing Powder
MUA Pixel Perfect Blush in Coral Spice
Sleek Makeup  Luminous Pressed Powder
Collection Lip Butter in Vintage Rose

Timeless: A Century of Iconic Looks

I love make-up books and have a growing collection but something that has always been missing, and indeed was missing when I trained all those years ago was a good, accurate guide to period make-up. Something that you could refer to when planning a shoot with genuinely useful references. Timeless: A Century of Iconic Looks by Louise Young and Lou Shepperd is that book, it's finally here.

I'm lucky to be friends with Louise and know that her passion for period make-up is absolutely genuine - she has an enviable collection of vintage make-up and clothes and is always on the look out for original products so she can find (and often create for her own make-up line) the exact modern duplicate. If you are doing '40s make-up the lips have got to be the right red, if they're not, Louise will know. This book is born from her passion for period make-up but also the frustration that many of us feel when the available references are often full of inaccuracies.

Timeless is a must for anyone studying make-up or hair, interested in period make-up, photography or just vintage looks and style. There are step-by-step guides, before and after pictures, and colour references and plenty of ideas for further research. There are a few different looks for each era with references to what celebrities wore (which is probably what we think of) and what real people at the time wore. It is a pleasure to read and the time and effort is apparent in every page, even down to the little arrow indicators showing which chapter you are on.

September Beauty News

The main news in our house is that Ned started school! So it's been a bit hectic here getting everyone settled into the new routine. It's quite nice to have some time with him between 3 and 6 when I pick up Jim and it does mean that I no longer have two full days with all three of them. But I also no longer have any full days to get work done!

New Releases

Three quite big deals this month

• ASOS have launcehd their own beauty collection aimed at 'millenials' and all under £12 I have yet to try any of these but I quite like the names such as Overqualified and Uncompromising.  
• Rihanna has launched her own beauty line Fenty Beauty which is available here in the UK from Harvey Nichols. I have heard great stuff about these products. 
• Victoria Beckham has done another range with Estee Lauder and again everyone seems to be really loving it. Can't wait to get my hands on some though a lot of it is sold out already. 

Books Update and Goodreads app

This is (clearly) an old video. But although it's old, it still stands, I have read a few more books but not many... babies are time sucks.

Gold Collagen Hydrogel Face Mask

I don't have a lot of time for face-masking. That's what I think but actually I do, I just need to be a bit more organised about it. I often feel like a face mask, like a bath bomb, is best enjoyed when you have actual time to sit and relax it but in reality, unlike a bath bomb, a face mask will do what it does whether you sit with your feet up in a zen like state or just stick it on while you're doing the online big shop (or indeed the in-store big shop if that's what floats your boat!).

For the Gold Collagen Hydrogel Mask I do like to use it in bed while I read my book. It's a sheet mask so you can wear it when you are up and about but being propped up in bed with my book is enough for me and it encourages me to go to bed with enough time to actually have time to read which is something I really miss since having the boys. I also like to give the ingredients time to themselves on my skin which they probably wouldn't get earlier in the day (not able to do a barefaced school run sadly).